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Interval timing accuracy and scalar timing in C57BL/6 mice
Catalin V Buhusi1, Dyana Aziz, David Winslow
1Department of Neurosciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425-0510, USA. buhusi@musc.edu
Behavioral Neuroscience
|October 15, 2009
Summary
House mice (Mus musculus) exhibit scalar timing, meaning their timing errors scale with duration. This finding validates C57BL/6 mice as a model for studying timing disorders.
Area of Science:
- Behavioral Neuroscience
- Chronobiology
- Animal Models
Background:
- Interval timing is accurate and scalar in many species.
- Scalar timing in house mice (Mus musculus) is not well-established.
- This raises concerns for mouse models of human timing-related diseases.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate interval timing accuracy and precision in C57BL/6 mice.
- To determine if C57BL/6 mice exhibit scalar timing.
- To validate the use of C57BL/6 mice in studying timing disorders.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a peak-interval procedure with multiple intervals.
- Assessed timing accuracy and precision in C57BL/6 mice.
- Employed an intraclass correlation statistic to confirm scalar property.
Main Results:
- C57BL/6 mice demonstrated varying degrees of timing accuracy.
- Mouse precision varied linearly with estimated duration, confirming scalar timing.
- The peak-interval procedure and intraclass correlation were validated.
Conclusions:
- This study provides the first report of consistent, reliable scalar timing in house mice.
- C57BL/6 mice are validated as a suitable model for behavioral studies of timing disorders.
- The findings support the use of genetically engineered mice for modeling human interval timing disorders.
